The Five Hundred Dollar House

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (KWQC) — When Michael Matherly first laid eyes on the home, it was a mess. Inside, items were piled up. The home on 20th Street in Rock Island’s Broadway Historic District had been neglected for years.

However, the original wood staircase won Michael and his wife over. They saw potential in the structure. So, they made an offer and bought the place for five hundred dollars. That was six years ago.

These days, the couple is renovating the house. A new interior layout and attractive windows are part of the makeover. Local laborers have done much of the work. Michael estimates they’ll spend three hundred thousand dollars to renovate the home which was built in 1870.

Michael grew up in Rock Island. He enjoys a neighborhood where other homeowners are committed to historic preservation along Broadway.

The Matherly family hopes to be in the home by early May, in time to host an annual Kentucky Derby party. Mixing old with new in one of Rock Island’s historic neighborhoods.

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